After
by BrightDarkness-2013
Summary: Just a little story I though happened. "Are ya insane!" Came a familiar voice. "Are ya f ckin insane!" Yep. Definitely familiar.


The familiar surroundings were comforting. However the place that it lay in was a little more that disturbing. So many memories. There was nothing more to do. Nowhere new to go. A tormenter of many lives was gone. A threat to the world destroyed. Many lives saved. Satisfaction among the group of saviors who were now probably going back to their lives before the crisis. Maybe lives had been taken in the process. Thankfully most were just monsters and one was an easily replaced electronic cat and mog. One however had been a close friend to most in that group. I however wasn't as fortunate to have known her. So her death hadn't had as much as an impact on me as it did the others. Maybe that was a hidden blessing within itself maybe it was a curse. I would never know since it had already passed. The past was not easily let go especially in my case so maybe not knowing would prevent me from hanging on to another painful memory but I doubt it. Maybes usually end up as no. I drew in a breath and slowly let it out. I then allowed myself to drift off into the nothingness of sleep.

'Valentine… Valentine, wake up… Wake up!'

'What…?'

'We have company.'

'Just be quiet. They'll leave in just a minute. The fiends always scare them away.'

'I'm not sure ignoring it is going to work this time.'

Ignoring the tone that sounded like he knew something I didn't I did what I usually did. Nothing.

'I'm telling you it's not going to work.'

'How many people like Cloud could there be?'

'Lets see. 1, 2, 3… about eight if you count Nanaki or Red or whatever his name is this time as a person.'

I was about to retort when the sound of the door opening caught my attention.

'The door isn't locked anymore, remember? Though I doubt that would have made a difference.'

Ignoring how uncharastically tame he was today I focused on the movement outside. There was a shift of movement. A soft creak.

'See? They're trying to open it up.'

A loud bang sounded throughout the small room as the lid of my coffin was practically thrown off and hit the cold hard ground. Dust rose and coughs followed. I blinked several times as the dust settled. Before it could however I felt a firm grasp on my shoulders. How had they took hold of me so easily? All that traveling with Cloud's group must have softened me. I should have had a gun out already.

"Are ya insane?!" Came a familiar voice. "Are ya fuckin insane?!"

Yep. Definitely familiar.

"Do ya have any idea how worried we were about ya?! Why in the hell would you come back here of all places?!"

Cid shook me in his rage. I scanned the area as he continued his rant that no one would dare interrupt. Yuffie was there and dealing with not only a hyper thieving ninja but a angry hyper thieving ninja was going to be a problem. Note to self. Hide all valuables. Red shook his head in a disappointed manner. Tifa looked concerned. Cloud was as stoic as ever. Though I guess I wasn't one to judge. Reeve stood with Cait and its mog. No doubt he had them do all the fighting he needed to on the way down. Barret looked impatient and angry though that was a usual behavior from him.

"You vanish for two weeks! No one has any Idea where ya went and we find ya back here! Hey! Are you even listening?!" He shook me a little more violently before staring me down.

I met his fiery glare with my ever unchanging stare, completely unintimidated by the long lecture. Just slightly confused as to why they came here in the first place. Didn't Barret have a kid to take care of? Didn't Red have a homeland to protect in the place of his father? Didn't Yuffie have to return home to Wutai?

"Well?!"

"...Well what?"

"'Well what?!' What do ya have to say for yourself?!"

"Was there something you needed me for? I thought we took care of the problem."

He looked frustrated now as well as angry. "Let me rephrase the question since you just can't seem to get it through your thick skull." He practically hissed. "WHY did YOU come back HERE?!"

I blinked. The only thing hinting to my slight surprise at his reaction.

"I had nowhere else to go-"

"Nowhere else ta go?!" He demanded. "Ya came back here to a place that ya were tortured in because ya supposeably had nowhere else ta go?! Did ya even think any of this through at all?! Didn't ya think ya could have I don't know went ta the newly opened 7th Heaven or ta Rocket town or something?!"

"The thought never crossed my mind, no."

He shook me again. "Ya damn idiot! You use to be a damn Turk start thinking things through! I mean what the hell?! Quit it with this self punishment thing already! Ya killed the guy! Isn't that enough?!"

"This isn't about punishment."

"Oh yeah?! Then what is it about?!"

Hadn't I already told him that?... Does he even know what he's saying on these rants of his? "Can't I just be tired?"

I watched his expression.

"For the love of- Ya can sleep on the Highwind. Get your ass up." He growled, yanking me out.

'Well he's still as eccentric as ever.'

Apparently I still have things to do?

'Just where are we going This time?'

'Who knows. Anything could happen with this group.' I reminded.

I stayed silent as Cid continued his bitter muttering on the way up the spiral staircase. He let the others take care of the fiends as he focused on cursing my apparent idiocy and pulling me along like if he let go I'd go back down. Maybe I would. Maybe I would regret letting them drag me back out into the world again. I suppose only time will tell.


End file.
